Self-Care for Caregivers

Follow these tips for balancing your caregiver role
and your personal well-being

You are essential to your loved one’s care both while they are in the hospital and afterward while they are healing at home. So, it’s important that you take care of yourself so you can best assist them.

Being organized, getting involved, and practicing self-care are all vital to balancing caring for another person while also caring for yourself. To help you, our medical content writer put together these tips.

Your role in the hospital

Get engaged as part of your loved one’s care team during their hospital stay. Understanding the patient’s care plan will make caring for your loved one easier.

  • Ask questions. Speak up if you don’t understand something, and take notes as you go to help you remember instructions and healthcare information.

  • Be present. Attend medical rounds or ask for updates from the care team.

  • Plan for discharge. Before your loved one leaves the hospital, make sure you understand what they will need at home and have a plan for how they will get it.

Keeping track

Keep notes and important documents together in one location, like inside your Patient Guide. Organizing information helps simplify caregiving because you’ll locate the things you need, when you need them.

  • Advanced directives. If your loved one has advanced directives, keep copies with you and keep the originals in a safe location.

  • Insurance information. Keep insurance info easy to access. Be sure to include ID cards and any phone numbers you may need.

  • Physical care instructions. Before leaving the hospital, learn how to help your loved one with bathing, dressing, and using medical devices. Take notes as you learn.

  • Medication information. Learn about new medications your loved one receives. Be sure you understand correct dosages and how the medications should be taken — like with or without food. Make sure you get an updated medication list before going home.

  • Treatment plans. Note next steps, including follow-up appointments, results to expect, and knowing when to call the nurse or doctor.

  • Contact information. Know how to reach the care team. Make sure you know how to contact the nurse during your loved one’s hospital stay and have all the telephone numbers you’ll need to reach help after discharge.

Advanced Directives

If your loved one can’t speak for themselves, doctors may turn to you for decisions. An advanced directive can help. If they can make decisions and communicate and don’t have an advanced directive yet, ask the care team for information on creating one.

After Discharge

Once your loved one is home, you will find a new rhythm to meet their needs and keep up with your other responsibilities. Here are tips to stay on top of it all:

  • Keep everything in one place. Use your Patient Guide, a notebook, or a calendar to track appointments, medications, and to-dos. There are also phone apps you can use.

  • Organize medication. Use a pill organizer and write down dosage times.

  • Plan to delegate. List out all caregiving tasks and identify those who can help you.

Here are some tasks you can delegate to others:

  • Grocery shopping (or use delivery)

  • Picking up medications (friends can do this for you)

  • Walking pets

  • Meal prep or cooking

  • Household chores (laundry, dishes, yard work)

  • Childcare or driving kids to activities

Watch for Burnout

Caregiving is hard work, and you may not even notice how much it’s affecting you. Look for these signs of burnout so you know when it’s time for you to ask for help:

  • You’re always exhausted, even with sleep.

  • You feel hopeless, sad, or angry more than usual.

  • You’re getting sick (headaches, colds, stomach aches).

  • You’re struggling to focus or forgetting simple things.

If you see these signs, it’s time to get support. Reach out to a friend, call a helpline, or see if you can get a home health aide to give you a break.

Financial Support

You may be wondering if you can get paid for caregiving. The answer depends on your situation. Check with Medicaid, veterans’ benefits, or local programs to see if you qualify for financial help.

If you have a job, your employer may offer FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) leave, which gives you unpaid time off to care for your loved one if you qualify.

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